Board making machine



Sept. 19, 1933. J. EDGE BOARD MAKING. MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fnei oct. 1, 1951 mv v) Q V1.1# uwwlvlnwu .mw\\| UUUWIHH HHII H Illln All.

Sept.` 19, 1933. J, EDGE BOARD MAKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MW mw ?atented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOARD MAKING MACHINE Jacob Edge, Downingtown, Pa.- Application October 1, 1931. Serial No. 566,327

16 claims. (C1. i12- 39) This invention relates to vboard fabricating machines and particularly to machines for the continuous production of board-like members i'rom the iibrous particles or laments of vegetable, animal or mineral substances.

It has heretofore'been suggested that boardlike members may be continuously produced by felting together fibers of various kinds on a moving forming wire or drum and various machines for the accomplishment of this general purpose have been designed and used. In my copending application Serial No. 328,095, filed December 24, 1928, one type of continuously operating board making machine is disclosed and claimed, which machine is capable of producing a board of any desiredthickness, without laminations, homogeneous throughout, and well suited for use as a structural unit, if desired. The present invention contemplates a number of improved features for machines of this type, some particularly intended for use in connection with machines such as disclosed in the application for Letters Patent just referred to, and others for use in connection with ber board making machines generally. One

feature of the invention comprises means for facilitating the manufacture of fiber boards of non-homogeneous type so far as the ingredients thereof are concerned, that is, which may comprise several kinds of bers arranged in layers,

to the end that the resulting board may have one or more facing layers of fibers which are either of diierent character or of different origin from those which go to make up the interior of the board. It will be understood, however, that the resulting board is strictly homogeneous insofar as its interior bonding is concerned and is free from laminations. y k

Other features of the invention reside in the provision of suction boxes to aid and facilitate U the formation and drying of the board, the provision of means whereby the flow of liquid through the forming wire, and hence the rate of deposition of the fibers thereon, may be regulated and controlled without varying the static head of the body of pulp stock above the forming wires or other member. The invention has numerous other features of novelty which will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly pointed 5o out in the appended claims.

1n adapting the various elements of the invention to board making machines of diiierent types, they may be considerably modified in structure, as Will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and

the machines illustrated in the accompanying drawings and embodying these features are set forth by way of example only.

In thedrawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a board making machine embodying several of the novel features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a similar longitudinal vertical section taken through a somewhat modified type of machine;

Figure 3 is a similar section through a machine of the same general type as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but showing still other structural changes;

Figure 4 is a plan view of that portion of the forming wire which underlies the pulp stock chamber; and

Figure 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Fig. 3, the several parts being illustrated on a larger scale.

The form of the invention disclosed in Figure 1 will first be described in detail. The frame of this machine is indicated generally at 10 and, as will be observed, comprises a plurality of uprights supporting a table-like, horizontal portion. The exact details of construction of the frame are, however, of no importance, and it may be modified widely to suit working conditions. Movably supported on the frame is the endless foraminous member 11 which comprises, in this instance, a strip of wire, which may be designated the forming wire. This foraminous member or forming wire is mounted to move in a closed fixed path in the direction of the arrow A. lt is supported by rollers so that approximately one half of it, which is the upper reach, moves in a substantially horizontal path and the lower or return reach passes beneath the table. Member l1 passes around the breast kroll 12 over a series of table rolls 13 rotatably mounted on the table or frame, thence between upper and lower pressure rolls 14 and 15 respectively, and finally between two sets of press rolls, the rst or primary set comprising upper and lower rolls 16 and 17 respectively, and the second set comprising top and bottom main press rolls 18 and 19 respectively. The primary press rolls may be omitted, if desired, or additional 'press rolls added. The bottom press roll 19 is driven by any suitable means (not illustrated) and constitutes the driving means for the foraminous member 11. Rolls 20 suitably supported on the frame are provided Positioned above the member 11 is a means for no supporting and guiding an upper endless confining wire 21 and also a means, indicated generally at 22, for supporting above the forming wire and in contact therewith a body of pulp stock such as, for instance, a mechanical inix ture of water and fibrous materials of any kind. The upper wire 21 has a lower reach which passes beneath the upper set of pressure rolls 14, beneath the upper primary press roll 16 and beneath and around the top press roll 18, being constrained by these various rolls to move in a path closely adjacent and parallel to the path pursued by the upper reach of the lower forming wire l1.` The return reach of the upper or confining wire 21 passes around the upper guide and stretch rolls 23 and 24* The upper guideand stretch rolls 23 are fixed, but roll 24, rollers 14 and press rolls 16 and 18 may be vertically adjusted to vary the distance between the parallel reaches of the upper and lower wires. Between rolls 24 and the first of. pressure rolls 14 the upper wire passes beneath and close to an inclined member 25, which is in reality a portion of the wall of chamber 22.

, wardly toward the forming Wire 11.

Chamberl 22 comprises essentially a portion having walls 30 disposed in a generally vertical direction and a portion 31 which extends generally horizontally toward the pressure rollers, the top wall of this portion being inclined downof the pulp container 22 comprises the forming wire 11 and it is the function of member 22 to maintain in contact with the forming wire 1l a body of pulp stock under relatively high static pressure, the upper level of the stock in the chamber 22 being indicated, for instance, at 33. Stock 'is introduced into chamber/22 by any suitable means, for instance, through the tortuous channel indicated at 34. The water of the pulp 'stoclr naturally passes rapidly through the forming wire 11 while the bers'containedin the water are deposited on the forming wire, the result being that a thick layer of fibers is formed on the wire in a relatively short time and, as the wire is moved continually in the direction of the arrow A, this layer of bers is continually withdrawn from the chamber 22, between the pressure rollers 14 and 15, in the form of a board. The thickness of the.

board which is removed from the forming area may be controlled by regulating the speed of the forming wire and the ber content of the pulp stock. It is desirable to maintain a high static head of pulp stock above the forming wire as this greatly aids in securing a resultant product which is relatively homogeneous throughout and one.

in which the fibers are interlaced in every direc.- tion. The water which passes through the forming wire flows between the rollers 13 and is caughty two auxiliary chambers or means are provided for introducing flbers into the forming area, one of` these being indicated at 36 and the other at 37. Chamber 36 is preferably of relatively small capacity as compared with the main chamber 22 and it is intended to convey to the surface of the forming wire 11 a pulp stock having different characteristics from the pulp stock introduced into chamber 22. Thus the pulp stock of chamber 36 may contain fibrous materials which are particularly suited to form the facing of the resultant liber board, giving it either a smoother outer ,surface or a more ornamental appearance, or both. Pulp stock in kchamber 36, ofcourse,

The bottom 17 and the top and bottom press rolls 18 and 19 is the first to come in contact with the forming wire 11 and when the forming wire rst comes in contact'with the pulp stock in the chamber 22, there has already been formed upon it a facing layer of liber.

Chamber 37 may be fed with a pulp stock which is the same as that fed into the chamber 36, or a still different type of stock, and the fibrous particles from this stock will deposit themselves upon the upper surface of the board which is formed on the forming wire 11, thus giving the board an upper as well as a lower facing of a different material from that which goes to comprise the interior thereof. It will be understood that, in the operation of the machine, the actual deposition of fibres on the forming wire 1l con,- tinues while any section of the wire is travelling from a position beneath the chamber 36 to a point approximately indicated by the numeral 40, the thickness of the bers deposited on the forming wire depending upon the ber content of the pulp and the speed of the forming wire. Further travel of the wire past the point 40 results in the loosely formed body of fiber thereon entering the space between the pressure rolls 14' and 15 where the fibers are compresed between the forming wire l1 and the upper wire 21, the pressure rollers extracting a large quantity of the water contained therein. The primary press rolls 16 and exert added pressure to the board and when it finally passes between the end rolls 18 and 19 it is substantially self-supporting and may be dried and put into use. If desired, a manifold such as indicated at 42 may be utilized for spraying the l board with a suitable sizing material or binder after it has been rst subjected to pressure but before its entrance into the pass between rolls -16 and 17. Also, a suction box 43 maybe itioned below the upper reach, of the forming wire 1 in such manner that a direct suction is exertedY upon the board between the upper.` and lower wires, the purpose of this suction box being to draw the binding material sprayed on the upper thorough penetration.

In the machine shown rather diagrammatically in Figure 2 of the drawings, the various parts are largely designed and constructed as in the form of the machine just described and are in- 1 tended to function in the same manner. It will be noted, however, that beneath the pulp stock chamber. 364 and below the forming wire l1 is positioned a box or trough 50 which opens upwardly against the forming wire 11'. This box or trough is intended to receive liquid from the pulp stock which passes through the forming wire, and a conduit 51 is provided for conducting this liquid away. This conduit has an upwardly extending portion having a discharge port 52 at the top thereof, this vertically extending portion being telescopic so that the position of the discharge port may be vertically adjusted at the will of the operator. By raising the discharge port 52, the effective static head of the pulp stock above box 50 may be decreased and, as a result, the rate of deposition of the fibers from the pulp stock will also be decreased. By adjusting the position of the discharge 52, therefore, the thickness of the layervof bers from the chamber 36', which is deposited on the forming wire, may be controlled. 1f desired, the size of the box 50 may be increased or the box may be so as to make it possible to control the actual rate of deposition of fibers at any selected area along the wire. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 2 also, the bottom press roll 19' is constructed as a suction member, preferably being a cylinder having a large number of small apertures formed therein and within which is positioned a member 53 of generally tubular form but having a longitudinal slot'in its upper portion provided with iianges 53', the parallel upper edges of which having a sliding t against the interior wall of the cylinder. A subatmospheric pressure is maintained in member 53 and as a consequence a considerable suction is maintained upon the ber board itself as it passes over the roller 19', serving to remove a large proportion of the water which may remain in the board even after its passage beneath the pressure rolls and to carry away the water expressed from the board by the action of roller 19' and the associated top press roll. The operation of the machine, however, is in general the same as the operation of that disclosed inFigure 1 although, as will be apparent, some of the arrangements of the pressure rollers have been modied.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3, upper suction box 60 and lower suction boxes 6l are placed above and below, respectively, the upper confining and lower forming members 21' and 11 at points along those portions of the foraminous members which are moved in converging relationship. These suction boxes, in which ysub-atmospheric pressure is maintained, are not intended to facilitate drying of the completed board but are intended to facilitate deposition of fiber on both the forming member 11' and the upper confining member 21. The layer of fiber which is caused to adhere to the upper foraminous member 21 by the action of suction box 60 is caused to unite with the heavier layer of fiber upon the forming wire 11' by the action of the pressure rollers between which the wires subsequently pass, and the board which ultimately issues is completely homogeneous throughout and without lamlnations.

It will also be observed that in this form of the invention, the rst of the upper pressure rollers 142 is formed as a hollow cylinder, the wall of which is pierced by a large number of relatively small perforations and that within this cylinder is a longitudinal tubular member 62slotted longitudinally on its lower side and provided with parallel flanges 63, the edges of which make a sliding flt with the interior wall of the cylinder. A sub-atmospheric pressure is maintained in member 62. As a result of this construction, the pressure roller not only functions in cooperation with the lower opposed pressure roller to compress the fibrous mass passed between them but also functions to -remove in large part the contained water of such fibrous mass.

' In the normal operation of the machine, the

- forming wire moves horizontally along the top of `the supporting frame, and, where it underlies the pulp stock chamber, the main portion of the wire rests upon `table rollers and the ,edges thereof upon longitudinal plates at the ends of the table rollers. As' the pulp stock in the pulp stock chamber isa comparatively heavy weight, which the wire must support, the edges of the wire will be quite forceably held against their supporting plates and rapidly worn away unless means is provided to decrease the frictional engagement Aof these edges and their supports. Such a means is shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings. It comprises two spaced endless and preferably imoerforate belts 64 arranged parallel to each other and passing over the breast roll 122, table rollers 132, suction boxes 61, the first of the lower pressure rolls 152 and the guide and stretch rolls 65. These belts may be fabricated of rubber if desired. The belts travel at the speed of the wire and, as may be seen in Figure 5, are interposed between the edges of the wire and the supporting plates 66. By this means the life of the wire is greatly prolonged.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:-

1. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a horizontally disposed and horizontally movable forming wire and means positioned above the wire for maintaining upon the surface thereof a body of pulp stock, said means including a plurality of spaced chambers for feeding pulp stock of different characteristics to said body under substantially the same static head. A

2. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a horizontally disposed and hori zontally movable forming wire and stationary means positioned above the wire for maintaining upon the surface thereof a body of pulp stock, the wire forming the, bottom of said pulp retaining means, said means including a plurality of horizontally spaced chambers for delivering pulp stock of diierent characteristics to said body at spaced points along the forming wire.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the pulp stock feeding chambers are arranged respectively so as to deliver pulp, first, 'f

directly to the wire to form a bottom layer of fiber thereon. secondly, upon the top of said primary layer to form a middle layer upon the top of the bottom layer, and, lastly, upon the middle layer to form a top coating layer of fiber upon the board in process of formation.

4. In a fiber board making machine, in combination, a forming wire, means above the wire for maintaining thereon a body of pulp stock under static pressure, and means below the wire for decreasing at will the effective static head of the stock above the wire.

5. In a liber board making machine, in combination, a forming wire, means for maintaining a body of pulp stock against one side of the wire, and means on the opposite side thereof for decreasing the' flow of pulp liquid through the wire.

6. The method of regulating the rate of deposition of fibers from pulp stock on a forming wire which comprises maintaining a body of pulp stock under static pressure in contact with one side of the wire and maintaining a body of pulp liquid under desired pressure upon the opposite side of the wire to oppose fiow o'f pulp stock liquid through the wire.

7. In a fiber board making machine, in combination, a forming wire, means formaintaining a body of pulp stock under pressure on one side of the ywire, and means to maintain a body of pulp stock liquid on the other side of the wire to oppose the flow of pulp stock liquid through the wire.

body of pulp stock under static pressure, a chamber on the opposite side of the wire for collecting and holding pulp stock liquid passing through the wire in order to maintain a body of such liquid in contact with the wire, and an overow for said chamber which is adjustable for thepurpose of regulating the static pressure of the pulp stock liquid at the wire.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 in which the forming wire is horizontally disposed, said chamber is below the forming wire, and the adjustable outlet is adapted to be positioned above or below the forming wire as desired.

11. Ina fiber board making machine, in combination, a frame, an endless forming wire, means on the frame for supporting and guiding said s* forming wire, said means including spaced paralported and guided by the frame, a chamber for I maintaining a body pulp stock in contact with one reach of the forming wire, and means independent of the wire and frame for supporting the margins of the wire on the frame.

14. 'Ihe combination set forth .in claim 13 in which said means includes, parallel rubber belts interposed respectively between the edges of the wire and the frame, said belts being movable with the wire.

15. In a fiber board making machine, in combination, a straight forming wire mounted for horizontal movement, means above the Wire for maintaining a body of pulp stock under static pressure upon the upper surface of said wire, the wire carrying in its movement a layer of ber from beneath said means, and pressure rollers for acting on said pulp layer after it leaves said means, one of said pressure rollers being provided with suction means for abstracting moisture from the pulp layer. f

16. In a fiber board making machine, in combination, a straight forming Wire mounted for horizontal movement, means above the wire for maintaining a body of pulp stock under static pressure upon the upper surface of said wire, the wire carrying in its movement a layer of ber from beneathl said means, pressure rollers for acting on said pulp layer after it leaves said means, and a suction box positioned adjacent the pressure rollers for abstracting moisture from the compressed pulp layer.

JACOB EDGE. 

